The Master of Urban Design (M.U.D.) is an initial, interdisciplinary program of study that focuses on contemporary challenges of urbanism at local, regional and global scales. Courses are taught by faculty from Architecture, Community and Regional Planning, and Landscape Architecture; with an understanding that urban environments should be engaged through an integrated design process that includes ecological, social, material, economic, and urban policy factors.
The urban design degree reflects a deep commitment to resilient urban environments within the context of an increasingly concentrated, connected and, diverse urban world. Accordingly, the coursework engages emerging urbanization topics including:
- The formation of more adaptable, flexible and resilient cities;
- the exponential growth of megacities and steady decline of investments in traditional urban economies in the twenty-first century;
- The transformation of Industrial landscapes, particularly within the Midwestern context, and the global impact of transnational economic operations.
- the spatialization of informal economies, practices, and services across the south-north global divide;
- and, a reexamination of the potentials of hard and soft infrastructures, principles of the circular economy and a reframing of the urban-rural divide.
The program consists of 30 credits, typically distributed over three semesters (fall, spring and summer), however, students may choose to distribute these credits over four or five semesters. The degree is geared toward students with professional degrees in architecture (BArch, MArch), landscape architecture (BLA, MLA) or planning (BSCRP, MCRP, MUP). Graduate students can also pursue the following double degrees in the College of Design: M Arch/MUD, MCRP/MUD and MLA/MUD.
Requirements:
| URBD 5010 | Urban Design Local Studio | 6 |
| URBD 5020 | Urban Design Global Studio | 6 |
| History/Theory/Criticism | 6 | |
| Technology/Methods | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
List of Courses:
History/Theory/Criticism - 6 credits from the following list
| ARCH 5270 | History, Theory, and Criticism of Chinese Architecture | 3 |
| ARCH 5280A | Studies in Architecture: Culture | 3 |
| ARCH 5750 | Contemporary Urban Design Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 5970 | Seminar on the Built Environment III: Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 5980 | Seminar on the Built Environment IV: Topical Study | 3 |
| ARTH 5010 | Issues in Visual and Material Culture Seminar | 3 |
| ARTH 5870 | Nineteenth Century Art | 3 |
| ARTH 5880 | Modern Art and Theory | 3 |
| ARTH 5920 | Art History in Europe | 3 |
| ARTH 5940 | Women/Gender in Art | 3 |
| ARTH 5950 | Art and Theory Since 1945 | 3 |
| ARTH 5960 | History of Photography | 3 |
| ARTH 5970 | Green Art: Earthworks and Beyond | 3 |
| CRP 5290 | Planning in Developing Countries | 3 |
| CRP 5610 | Planning Theory | 3 |
| CRP 5630 | Planning the American Metropolis | 3 |
| LA 5780D | Topical Studies in Landscape Architecture: History/Theory/Criticism | 2-3 |
| URBD 5110 | North American Urbanization | 3 |
| URBD 5210 | Foundations of Urban Design | 3 |
| URBD 5220 | Contemporary Urban Design Practices | 3 |
| URBD 5310 | Methods of Urban Design Workshop | 3 |
| URBD 5330 | Urbanism Theory and Methods | 3 |
Technology/Methods - 12 credits from the following list
| ARCH 4320 | Advanced Computer Lighting and Rendering | 3 |
| ARCH 4340 | Advanced Computer-aided Architectural Design | 3 |
| ARCH 5330 | Digital Fabrication | 3 |
| ARCH 5340 | Topics in Computer-aided Architectural Design | 3 |
| ARCH 5360 | Advanced Design Media | 3 |
| ARCH 5580 | Sustainability and Green Architecture | 3 |
| ARTGR 5730 | Multimedia Design | 3 |
| ARTGR 5780 | Graphic Design Advanced Web Design | 3 |
| ARTGR 5790 | Wayfinding Design | 3 |
| ARTIS 4080 | Principles of 3D Animation | 3 |
| ARTIS 4930C | Workshop: Computer Art and Design | 1-3 |
| ARTIS 5070 | Principles of Character Animation | 3 |
| ARTIS 5080 | Computer Aided Animation and Visualization | 3 |
| ARTIS 5090 | Computer/Video Game Design and Development | 3 |
| ARTIS 5480 | Digital Textile Design | 3 |
| ARTIS 5560 | Relief Printmaking: Digital/Traditional | 3-4 |
| ARTIS 5570 | Intaglio and Monotype Printmaking: Digital / Traditional | 3-4 |
| ARTIS 5580 | Lithography: Digital / Traditional | 3 |
| CRP 5510 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| CRP 5520 | Geographic Data Management and Planning Analysis | 3 |
| CRP 5530 | Analytical Planning/GIS | 3 |
| CRP 5560 | GIS Programming and Automation | 3 |
| CRP 5950 | Seminar in GIS Applications/Research | 1 |
| DSNS 5010 | Introduction to Research Design | 3 |
| INDD 6400 | Advanced Digital Technologies | 3 |
| LA 5580 | Web Mapping and Spatial Data Visualization | 3 |
| LA 5780G | Topical Studies in Landscape Architecture: Graphics | 2-3 |
| LA 5780K | Landscape Architecture: Computer Applications | 2-3 |
| LA 5780L | Topical Studies in Landscape Architecture: Ecological Design | 2-3 |
| URBD 5320 | Urban Design Media Workshop | 3 |
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| Select from History/Theory/Culture List | 3 | URBD 5010 | 6 | URBD 5020 | 6 |
| Select from Technology/Methods List | 3 | Select from Technology/Methods List | 3 | ||
| Select from Technology/Methods List | 3 | Select From History/Theory/Culture | 3 | ||
| Select from Technology/Methods List | 3 | ||||
| 12 | 12 | 6 | |||